OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Despite coming away with their third double-digit comeback victory of the season against Minnesota on Sunday, the Ravens suffered “a major blow” in their secondary with DeShon Elliott expected to miss the rest of the season.
The starting safety exited the 34-31 overtime win over the Vikings late in regulation with what was revealed to be a pectoral and right biceps injury. Elliott was officially placed on injured reserve on Monday afternoon.
“He has — I think — a torn pec and a torn bicep,” head coach John Harbaugh said after Sunday’s win. “The guy is so courageous. He gutted it out through all of that, but he’s going to be out. So, that’s a major loss for us.”
Unfortunately, it’s familiar territory for the 2018 sixth-round pick out of Texas, who’s now seen three of his four NFL seasons cut short by injury. Elliott missed his entire rookie year with a fractured forearm sustained in the preseason and only appeared in six games before sustaining a serious knee injury in his second season.
Stepping into the lineup after the Ravens released former Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas during the 2020 preseason, Elliott started all 16 games and was playing for a contract extension with Baltimore this year. Having already missed two games with a quadriceps strain earlier this season, Elliott recorded two tackles for a loss in Sunday’s game before suffering the injury. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound safety registered his first career interception in the Week 6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rookie third-round pick Brandon Stephens started two games in place of Elliott earlier this season is expected to step into the lineup next to starting safety Chuck Clark, but veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith may also see some time at safety in sub packages. Stephens has played 234 defensive snaps in eight games this season, recording 32 tackles and a pass breakup. The 6-foot-1, 213-pound SMU product began his collegiate career as a running back at UCLA before transferring and switching to cornerback, showing intriguing promise despite his inexperience in the secondary.
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“Like any rookie, they’re going to have their bumps and bruises in the road,” said secondary coach Chris Hewitt about Stephens during the bye week. “But he’s got that same kind of mentality like Chuck. He’s really serious, he’s got a great approach about him, extremely conscientious. He’s just got to learn the speed of the play in the NFL and continue to just get better at that, and he has. He’s just got to turn it loose as a player.
“Those are the things I talk to him about: ‘Man, just go ahead, and go turn it loose and play football like you did when you were in Pop Warner.’ He’s getting better with that, and you’ll see him out there making some plays for us.”
In more positive news, the Ravens reinstated tight end Nick Boyle (knee) to the 53-man roster, putting him in position to potentially make his season debut in Miami on Thursday night. Boyle, 28, began practicing on Oct. 20 and hasn’t played in a game since injuring his left knee in New England last Nov. 15.
The Ravens also designated rookie guard Ben Cleveland (knee) to return to practice from IR and re-signed safety Jordan Richards to the practice squad.
